Pundit plaudits for Mitt's speech

Mitt Romney’s victory speech after five primary wins got rave reviews from talking heads in the media on Wednesday, many of whom praised the former Massachusetts governor’s remarks as the best campaign speech he’s ever given.

Even senior Obama strategist David Axelrod praised Romney’s address, if not his message.

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“Well, look I thought he gave a great performance — everybody agrees on that. It was a well-written speech and there’s much in there that we can agree on. He says the issue is how we build an economy in which the middle class than can thrive and in which people can get their best chance. The question is whether Mitt Romney is the answer to that,” said Axelrod on MSNBC’s ”Andrea Mitchell Reports,” before going on to slam the presumptive GOP nominee.

On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” panelists took turns one after the other paying tribute to the speech, during which Romney delivered the key lines, “Hold on a little longer. A better America begins tonight,” and, “the last three years have been the best that Barack Obama can do, but it’s not the best America can do… it’s still about the economy, and we’re not stupid.”

“He could win if he can maintain that level of performance, and that will hearten a lot of Republicans,” said frequent “Morning Joe” guest and MSNBC contributor Mark Halperin. “I thought there was tons in there that Republicans could be encouraged by. The performance itself was good. It showed that he could [give] a cutting critique of the president.”

“I thought by 100 miles it was the best speech he has given on any of these nights,” said Steve Schmidt, former senior campaign strategist for Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) 2008 presidential bid. “He framed an economic argument that can have appeal in the middle of the electorate… the ferocity of how he made that economic argument, talking about how to create prosperity in the country, I think it’s… what he needs to do to win.”

NBC political director Chuck Todd said, “I think it was a very good speech, the best he’s given to date. He laid out the, why not President Obama … It was the best written speech that Romney’s campaign has put together, and he delivered it fairly well.”

“The speech is getting, pretty much, rave reviews. People say it’s one of the best speeches Romney has given as a candidate, this time or four years ago,” added CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser.

Meanwhile, on Fox, “Fox and Friends” host Steve Doocy praised Romney’s address as a “very powerful speech,” while fellow host Brian Kilmeade said that it was “arguably his best speech to date.”